Asher Roth might not have been close to the best celebrity ballplayer at the Converse Band of Ballers earlier this week, but he was definitely the hottest name in the music game in the gym. The hip-hop Rookie of the Year candidate sat down for a few minutes between games to talk basketball, music and college…

Dime: Congrats on getting that first win earlier.Asher Roth: Yeah, the early W was a good look for sure. It was super important and it really helped that my teammates hit a few big 3’s (laughs).

Dime: Yeah some shooters are always nice to have on your team. You had your birthday the other day right?Asher: Yup, it was yesterday. So I’m 24 now – eight, eleven, eighty five.

Dime: Happy belated – did you do anything crazy?Asher: Thanks man but nothing crazy I just kicked it with my parents, my family, close friends and all that. My parents stay in Morrisville, Pennsylvania so we were out there yesterday and then took the train from New Jersey into New York this morning.

Dime: What team’s do you follow then being from Pennsylvania? You can’t follow West Chester University they’re only D3.Asher:(laughs) D2 not D3. But when the tournament rolls around I go with the Maryland Terps. With the NBA I’m more of a player guy because I was a Chicago Bulls fan growing up, but then I realized I was a front runner, but I’ll root for the home Sixers now. But I’m definitely more of a player fan.

Dime: You do have that shaggy hair Kirk Hinrich thing going on. It sounds like you relate your game to all the white players?Asher:(laughs) Yeah, I just shoot the ball and don’t play any defense.

Dime:Jason Kapono style.Asher: Yeah definitely – actually my man Scotter Braun is the Jason Kapono, he hits all the 3s for us. My man over there is the white Bruce Bowen, a little dirty but locks players up on D, and Snuff is the Kurt Rambis mixed with a little bit of Charles Barkley-esque; he’s the enforcer on the court. So that’s our squad but we’re all just having fun out there.

Dime: Seems like everyone on the team has their role. How did the tour finish up?Asher: It was great, we just finished The Great Hangover Tour it was a lot of fun. We we’re out with Pac Div who we just beat, KiD CuDi, myself, B.O.B., and 88-Keys.

Dime: Any crazy stories?Asher: I can’t tell you that, man, but we had a lot of fun for sure. We actually didn’t get too crazy, some late nights but it was all fun. Vegas was crazy though, it’s always a good time out in Vegas but for the most part there was some misbehaving but I still treat this like it’s a job.

Dime: What’s next for music?Asher:Asleep In The Bread Aisle gave me a nice little foundation and was a good album for me to get my feet wet. Now we’re working on another mixtape that we’ll put out later this year and then work on the next album after that. We’re still touring though, we’re actually gonna close out the year on the road. In September it’ll be on the road with Blink 182 and this month we’re in Europe. We actually leave for Europe tomorrow, so it’s just all about running around and continuing to build the awareness for my music. I got 9 stops out there, I’ve been to Europe before but haven’t toured there so I’m excited for that. I’m always excited to tour though because really that’s what all of this is about.

Dime: Any collaborations with these artists?Asher: I’ve done something with (Jim) Jones before and I’ve done some stuff with Pac Div while we were on tour except there’s a little more work to do for that so we gotta finish that up. I gotta get familiar with these other cats like (DJ) A-Trak and all these other guys. That’s why events like these are so dope, it gives us all a chance to meet and get some ideas going.

Dime: Any last words?Asher: Just peace and love, man. Go support all the good music and keep meeting good people.

Join The Discussion

Seems like a good dude. He nice with the metaphors and if his production is tight he can make more and more noise as he goes.

Only bad thing is Em been out way before, so any white rappers will always be held to that standard or compared. And while many don’t like Em, the boy can go.

Still if Asher get the right joints going, he make even bigger waves.

Funny the players he likes. Classic Asher though.

08.14.09 at 4:34 pm

POPPI GEE

I think I still got the promotional joint he did a while ago with Cannon and Drama I think it was. Cover he did of ROC Boys “Roth Boys” was nice.

08.14.09 at 5:22 pm

Jeff Chen

Yeah Asher’s mixtape “The Greenhouse Effect: Vol. 1″ with the “Roth Boys” was a solid tape. He was a cool dude though, was humble to be where he is so that’s always good.

08.14.09 at 6:30 pm

Bron42 aka Had Spings before Slamball

still a eminem rip off, no matter how down to earth he is lol

08.14.09 at 10:09 pm

Big Freeze

this kid is wack. i would dunk on his head and then finish him with a ill freestyle

08.15.09 at 12:02 am

Ashlov

@Bron42

They’re completey different rappers. Eminem has a psychotic edge to his rhymes. Asher isn’t violent at all, just a silly kid with crazy flow. Listen to songs like “Lark In My Go Kart”, “Roth Boyz”, his version of “A Millie”, and “Keep Bouncing”.

He even has a song called “As I Em”, talking about the comparison to Eminem.

08.15.09 at 12:57 am

S-SiN

one tough act to follow.. no shit, what else can i say?. firecrotch here is a fuckin frat rip of Emm.. lisn how he says CRAZY and WOULD EVERYBODY RITE NOW soundin like Marshall.. talkin bout i love college.. its shady’s nightmare is what it is

I hope Em tears his ass up UK flag style

08.15.09 at 1:05 am

S-SiN

and while we’re at it, i checked more of his stuff out and his whole shit look to me like we drunk in the suburbs and “my dad gon pay fo whatever”..

the fuck outta here..

08.15.09 at 1:08 am

S-SiN

think i’m wrong and hip-hop don’t sell out fo the likes of a firecrotch here? check the back cover of that paris hilton joint fool..

08.15.09 at 1:18 am

Bron42 aka Had Spings before Slamball

@Ashlov, ur kidding right…everything from voice to how he builds his verses is early marshall mathers…like if u compare “my name is” and “i love college” its that same dorky flow and they sound almost the same…just cuz em is violent doesnt mean ash isn’t biting..just not as creative.

So another white rapper is about to break onto the scene and already the Em copy cat rumours are being thrown around lol
I agree a comparison can be made, but an Eminem rip off? OKay, so every black rapper is a Run DMC rip off. Yeah i said it!

His mixtape was one of the betters ones to come out and i liked it alot, cant wait for his next one. Tho no one can touch Kid Cudi at the moment!

08.15.09 at 11:35 am

dial up

This guy is a horrible rapper. Mtv seriously is trying to pump this guy as the next white hype. For rappers. Too bad he has no good songs. At least that music fans would listen too.

08.15.09 at 12:19 pm

Y'll Retards

All you dumbass saying he has nothing and wont be anything, HE ALREADY IS ON The MAP! He CO HEADLINED WITH KUDI on a national tour. SOld out a ton of dates! His album was #1 on itunes for a week. You haters have already lost!

08.15.09 at 12:21 pm

Bron42 aka Had Spings before Slamball

@soopa, ya if every black rapper sounded exactly like run dmc and had the same exact style, ya…u could say that… his whole flow is just biting of ems, but if you wanna turn him into the next white hope, knock urself out..but don’t make it like hes breakin the mold when his whole gimmick is the same slow, dorky gimmick eminem first did just minus the ghetto side.

p.s: and i’ll be the first to admit, 90% of rap these days, black or white is junk…i mean come on, theres people who actually say soulja boy and guys like B-hamp are the future of rap…the future.

08.15.09 at 2:59 pm

Maynard

Hinrich, Majerle and Kerr? What a poser.

Anyway, the reason this guy comes off “down to earth” is that he thought he was going to blow up mainstream, but he’s so far from legit that nobody took him seriously and bought his stuff, and very few actually know who the hell he is. You’re seeing a humbled man.

I think he was counting on people making a big deal of him ripping off Eminem — he even made a song about it — and maybe even getting Em to pop off about it. But appropriately, neither Em nor anybody else cared.

S-Sin – you’re seriously an idiot. Not only because your points weren’t founded on anything and it was 100% clear that you haven’t listened to Roth’s album which is completely different from em’s, but also because you can’t form full sentences. Take it from somebody who has listened thoroughly to both artists – they are completely different. I know there’s no getting through to you, but go give Roth’s album a listen rather than saying that somehow his rap sounds like his dad pays for everything. People that make unfounded comments like you do make my head hurt.

Bron42 – I understand that you might see similarities in the flow of those two songs and I can kind of see that, but you honestly have to give the rest of his tracks a listen. Em and Asher are really completely different rappers with different messages to get across. Just give the album a few listens through. I really think you’ll hear the difference between the two.

Dial Up – no good songs… that’s why SRC/Universal, Def Jam, Atlantic, and Warner Bros. all wanted to sign him. That’s why Jay-Z wanted to sign him. I guess now we’re assuming Jay-Z has no ear for a good rapper. Feel free to write a lengthy paragraph explaining why Jay-Z has no ear for talent. I can’t wait to hear this. Please, take your time.